What To Look For When Inspecting A Used Car

You can do most of the work yourself when inspecting a used car before making a decision to purchase.

The main thing to remember is that it’s your hard earned money, so you and only you get to choose how to spend it. So don’t feel intimidated to buy just because a seller tells you that it’s a great car and has given them no troubles.

Here is a list of things that you can do:

Service History – Check in the log/service book to see how many services are filled in and with a stamp from the mechanic or dealership that carried out the work. And don’t forget to look on the windscreen for the current service sticker with a due date and mileage.

Panel Damage – Now you are looking for inconsistencies in the paint work and panels, which comes from accident & hail damage. So run your eye up and down the sides, over the roof, bonnet & boot and look for dings, dents and unsmooth surfaces. Also look at each panel from a different direction when in the sun and shade and look for different shades of colour in the panels.

Turn The Radio Off & Listen To The Car When Test Driving – Now it’s time to go for a drive and listen to the car to see if there are any unusual bumps, squeaks or rattles. So turn the radio off and out the windows up and drive on a road that’s unusually bumpy. Carparks with speed bumps work well. Also drive with the windows down too, as you can pick up different sounds that way as well. And don’t forget to drive in reverse too.

PPSR Certificate – This is a federal government issued certificate that shows if any money is owed on the vehicle, or if it has ever been written off or stolen. So it is definitely worthwhile checking to see if the car you’re interested is has any of these affecting it.

Pre-Purchase Inspection – And if all of that checks out the last thing you can do to really put your mind at ease is to arrange a pre-purchase inspection. There are many business that offer this service, but we recommend one that rates well with Google Reviews and is well known. Such as RACQ or a similar well known entity.

So go forth with these tips and find the right car for your budget and needs.

Or get in touch with us and we can do it for you, all at no extra cost.